The Official Opposition is calling on the provincial government to resume talks for public coverage of Xcopri, an anti-seizure medication that isn’t currently available in Canada.

The NDP claims that the Sask. Party halted negotiations for the drug in October of this year and ignored recommendations from local medical experts and patient advocates.

Premier Scott Moe says this isn’t the case.

“At this stage, I understand that there are some breakdowns in negotiations. What I have asked our provincial minister of health and the Ministry of Health to do, is to reach out to his colleagues across the nation to see if there’s any way to restart, reinvigorate, those discussions immediately,” Moe states.

NDP Health Critic Vicki Mowat says it’s clear that the Sask. Party has walked away from the negotiating table, and she calls on them to commit to going back.

Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill says negotiations did fall apart, but it was no doing of the Saskatchewan government.

“Unfortunately, negotiations did break down between all provinces and the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance last month. I’ve directed the ministry of health to work directly with other provinces to try to reopen those negotiations with the Pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance. If those don’t open, we will try and work directly with the drug provider.”